What is Wrong with Digital Currencies?
SALES SALES SALES
We are living in an age where the market economy has an overwhelming influence on our society and our values. The influence is so deep that it shapes our moral values and defines our priorities. The world has become a place where everything is for sale and where anything can be bought or sold, including freedom and democracy.
The rise of cryptocurrencies has sparked new hope for a better future where the freedom and control of our finances would be in our own hands, also can also be seen as a potential threat to traditional power structures. However, the truth is far from this idyllic picture. The crypto world is dominated by large corporations and funds, that are only in it for profit. The illusion of freedom and decentralization is only a façade that has been created to sell the idea to the public.
FAKE NARRATIVES
There have been narratives of freedom that have been used to justify colonization, imperialism, and other forms of domination and exploitation. For example, the idea of "manifest destiny" used to justify U.S. expansion and colonization in the 19th century was based on a narrative of freedom as spreading American values and civilization to other parts of the world. In this context, freedom was not seen as an individual right, but as a collective project of expanding American power and influence.
The narrative that cryptocurrencies are also being used to bring freedom is just as fake as the idea that the US delivers democracy and freedom to the world. The reality is that there is a cost to everything, including digital freedom, and that cost is often paid in human labor or even lives.
The same is happening in the crypto world, where venture capitalists are using the freedom narrative to make more profits, marketing agencies are promoting unrealistic goals, and governments are controlling digital freedom by regulating and taxing it. Even people are trading their digital freedom for the promise of profit and are blindly accepting these false narratives.
FOR-PROFIT
It’s easy to believe that the digital future will be shaped by cyberpunks, hackers, and idealistic generations, but the truth is that it will be shaped by large corporations and funds that have no interest in freedom or decentralization. There may be idealistic people working hard to create a better world, but they too are living in a false narrative. The crypto world is not the utopia that it has been marketed to be. The freedom narrative is just a sales pitch, and the reality is far from the idealistic picture that has been painted. The digital future will be shaped by corporations and funds that have no interest in freedom, and the cost will be paid by the people who have fallen for the fake narrative.
WHAT TO DO THEN?
Anarchists view the state and large corporations as institutions that exercise disproportionate power and control over individuals and communities. In this context, cryptocurrencies can be seen as a tool for bypassing these institutions and creating new forms of economic and social organization. The use cases for cryptocurrencies should align with anarchist ideas of alternative systems, challenging traditional forms of economic and social organization. This means empowering individuals to take greater control over their lives and communities, rather than relying on centralized institutions such as governments or corporations.
By controlling our own data, we can take back control of our online identities, financial transactions, and personal information. They can participate in the economy and exchange goods and services without the need for intermediaries, resulting in more equitable and fair economic transactions. The future may be uncertain, but one thing is for sure: it is possible to create a future that is inclusive and fair for all individuals.
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